Swasti Sneh with her mother, Neha Agarwal, a Chartered Accountant, and father, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, an IAS officer, after securing 99.4% in the CBSE Class XII examinations.
NEW DELHI: When the CBSE Class XII results were declared on May 13, Swasti Sneh of Delhi Public School, RK Puram, emerged as one of the top Commerce performers with an impressive 99.4%. She secured perfect 100s in English Core, Business Studies and Accountancy, along with 99 in Economics and 98 in Mathematics, placing her among the highest scorers from the national capital this year.Her performance came in a year when the CBSE Class XII overall pass percentage dipped to 85.20% from 88.39% last year, amid discussions around tougher competency-based papers, lengthy Mathematics and Economics sections, and the first large-scale implementation of On-Screen Marking (OSM). While many students turned to coaching institutes during the board examination season, Swasti followed a different path — one built around school learning, self-study and consistency.“Practice and consistency made the difference”For Swasti, preparation was never about clocking extreme study hours or depending on multiple coaching classes. She said discipline and regularity mattered far more.“I focused more on consistency and regularly studying rather than fixed hours, but on average I studied around 7-8 hours daily with complete concentration,” she said.Unlike many board aspirants, she did not attend coaching or tuition classes during Class XII.“I did not rely on any coaching or tuition; instead, I focused on attending school classes regularly and making the most of them. I complemented this with disciplined self-study at home and consistent preparation for school assessments,” she said.Her preparation strategy largely revolved around school examinations, pre-boards, revision and repeated practice through sample papers and previous years’ questions.“I did not attend any coaching. NCERT was my primary resource for most subjects, except Accountancy. Closer to the boards, I practised a substantial number of previous years’ papers and sample papers to strengthen my preparation,” she said.
No coaching, three perfect 100s: Swasti Sneh scores 99.4% in CBSE boards
Conceptual understanding helped adapt to changing CBSE patternThis year, several students and teachers observed that CBSE papers, particularly in Mathematics and Economics, included more competency-based and application-oriented questions. Swasti said her long-standing focus on conceptual learning helped her adjust comfortably to the changing examination pattern.“I have always focused on understanding concepts rather than rote learning, and I tried to relate theory with practical concepts and real-life understanding, which helped me adapt well to this shift,” she said.She described Accountancy and Economics as her favourite subjects, though she admitted Mathematics was relatively more challenging.“I found Accountancy and Economics to be my favourite and most interesting subject, while Mathematics was relatively little challenging. Overall, my preparation strategy included consistent self-study and extensive practice through school papers and pre-boards,” she said.Even after scoring 99 in Economics and 98 in Mathematics, she acknowledged that some sections were unexpectedly tricky.“I found Accountancy relatively easier, while Mathematics and Economics were slightly surprising due to a few tricky questions,” she said.Family, teachers and school support played a key roleSwasti credited much of her success to the guidance she received from her parents, teachers and school throughout the academic year.“My mother, a Chartered Accountant, dedicated significant guidance and emotional support in my studies, and my father, an IAS officer currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Government of India, also supported my academic preparation,” she said.“My subject teachers and school were equally instrumental, consistently guiding me, resolving doubts, and providing ample practice through papers.”She recalled feeling overwhelmed when the result was announced.“I felt overwhelmed and deeply grateful to everyone who supported me. It was a very fulfilling moment, and it truly felt like all the effort had paid off. I was immensely thankful to my parents, brother, family members and teachers,” she said.Although she expected a strong result after the examinations, she said the final score still felt special.“My papers had gone really well, and I was expecting a very good score. But scoring 99.4% was truly a pleasant and rewarding moment,” she said.Balancing academics with extracurricular activitiesDespite the intense pressure of board examinations, Swasti continued participating in extracurricular activities during the academic session. She served as the President of the Business Excellence Society at DPS RK Puram and remained involved in organising events and competitions.“I tried to balance my studies and stayed actively involved in extracurricular activities. I served as the President of the Business Excellence Society at DPS RK Puram and participated in and organized several fests and competitions,” she said.At the same time, she admitted making certain personal sacrifices during the examination phase.“However, I did have to sacrifice some family gatherings and events, and I made sure to regulate my phone and social media usage to stay focused,” she added.Future plans after Class XIIFollowing her board examination success, Swasti is now preparing for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and plans to continue in the Commerce field.“For now, my primary focus is on CUET, with the aim of pursuing B.Com (Hons.) from Delhi University, and pursue Chartered Accountancy along with it,” she said.She also believes the Commerce curriculum can become more aligned with practical career pathways by encouraging Applied Mathematics for Commerce students.“I think one change could be to make Financial Mathematics as the only preferred course for Commerce students who opt for Mathematics. I believe Applied Maths, in particular, is more relevant and useful for Commerce students,” she said.Advice for next year’s CBSE aspirantsAs lakhs of students begin preparing for the next board examination cycle, Swasti’s advice remains centred on consistency, discipline and conceptual clarity.“I would advise students to stay consistent, attend school regularly, keep taking internal tests and exams seriously, and practice regularly. Focus on conceptual clarity, trust your preparation, and avoid unnecessary stress,” she said.In a year marked by changing evaluation patterns and tougher competency-based papers, her journey reflects a preparation model driven not by shortcuts or coaching culture, but by regular school learning, disciplined self-study and sustained practice throughout the academic session.
